


Ghost

by invisible_nerd_girl



Series: Random Sterek shorts [7]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Laura, As in Peter kind of Crazy, Cussing, Feral Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Full Shift Werewolves, Ghosts, Hunters, Lost in the Woods, M/M, Peter is cool though, Stiles Stilinski Dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:41:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25233307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invisible_nerd_girl/pseuds/invisible_nerd_girl
Summary: Derek ran away after the fire because he could see the ghosts of his family and lost control. Years past where he struggles to get back to himself. He gives up living after he fails to save a human but a fox appeared that just won't let him die. (PS, Super crazy Scott and death)
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Random Sterek shorts [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1564270
Comments: 26
Kudos: 69





	Ghost

Derek was lost in the woods. A terrible fire happened to his family and it was his fault. He tried to recover, to hold onto his inner wolf but then his little sister was unable to talk to him and his mother still had her wounds. He only saw her when he was alone. In the end, he fled into the woods as his wolf took control of his body. Everything after that became a blur. 

“Whacha doing?” the annoying young man who sometimes came to him as a fox poked his face with a paw and he jerked his head away. The fox came to him when he was weakened from hunger, his plan of curling up in his cave and dying proved to be hard when the small creature brought him mice, and one time a rabbit, before whining and pawing at him until he lifted his head and ate. The fox would curl against his side, cleaning his ears and treated him like a sick pup. 

“Leave me alone. I deserve to be forgotten.” Derek tried to shove the fox off and a second later there was the young man before him. Hands slid into his fur, soothing his soul a just a fraction more and he found he no longer had the strength to shake him off. 

“I don’t know what you went through, but I don’t think dying here is going to make anything better.” The annoying fox murmured to him and he eventually tilted his head back and accepted some of the attention. The fox beamed at him with glowing golden eyes before he had the newest dead mouse danged above his head by the tail. 

“Eat. It’ll make you feel better.” The Fox flung it into the air by his muzzle, triggering his instincts to catch the fresh meat and he glared at him as he munched. 

“See?” The fox beamed before turning and slipping out of the cave. Derek was too weak to follow but he tried to get himself up. He ended rolling to the side and let out a sigh. After a while he fell into a doze and the nightmares started again and he cried out, unable to wake himself up. 

“Hey.” A hand struck the back of his head and he lunged at it before his wolf was under his control. A shriek ripped through his head and he pulled back, glancing around in confusion. There wasn’t anyone else in the cave with him. He sniffed carefully, finding that the fox was just outside. He forced his legs under his body and peeked out, seeing the fox on his back, his paws in the air as he stared up at him. 

“Dude, that was rude.” He instantly started complaining but Derek pulled back, turning his head away in annoyance. The creature didn’t make sense to him but it had to be powerful enough to block it’s heartbeat from Derek. He couldn’t hear a thing but it had to be because the fox was a creature of magic and blocked it to help himself lie better. 

“Sorry.” He settled back down with his back to the fox, who immediately jumped over him and skidded down his face until he was sitting in front of him. A second later he was the teenager again and slumped against him like he was a lounge chair. 

“It’s alright. I’m used to your grouchy side, but hey! You want to tell me what’s got you in a twist? It might help.” The teenager didn’t look at him as he spoke in a cheerful, teasing voice but there was a seriousness to his words. 

“No.” Derek closed his eyes and flattened his ears, trying to block the teenager out of his vision. 

“Ah, well. I guess you just want me to leave you to die then?” He flicked his ear and Derek growled low, spinning around so he was facing the other way. The teen sighed low but kept leaning against him. After a while he dozed off again.   
====================================================================  
“There was an attack here.” He fessed up after several days of the pestering. 

“Go on.” Stiles, who kept announcing himself with his name that it pushed through the fog in Dereks mind, looked almost too interested. Derek paused as he looked at him, narrowing his eyes at the way he was trying not to grin. 

“I… I don’t remember much.” He back tracked before shaking his head. “There was another wolf, but the scent was wrong. It was like it was meant to be my pack yet it was…. Broken.” He watched the forest outside his cave, resting his head on his paws. 

“So what happened?” Stiles managed to be more sober and he flattened his ears again, the strain of the memory shaking him a little more. 

“I was here, and I smelled the wolf. I knew it was a bad smell and I didn’t want anyone to get hurt because there was a human with him.” He stared down into the clearing. It wasn’t the same one where it all went down but he saw it in his nightmares almost nightly, along with the fire. Sometimes the forest would be on fire or it was his family being murdered by a feral werewolf, one by one, but there was always something. 

“I went down and stayed out of sight. The feral was young, a bitten. Easy to fool. They were facing each other, two young ones, talking about something. It happened so fast. The human was on the ground, the feral on top. I tried to pull him off. I remember throwing him and trying to stop the humans bleeding. I… I don’t remember what he looked like but he died in my arms. I failed him. I came here to hide from the humans who came for his body. There was one old one, the Alpha of human pack that came, was upset.” He covered his nose with his paw and flinched as Stiles placed his hand on his shoulder. 

“There was nothing you could do. He was human, and you were there for him in those last minutes. That’s means a lot. Trust me.” Stiles soothed and he turned to look at the teenager, trying to show him that he didn’t really believe him. “My mother died from cancer when I was ten. I was holding her hand when she died. That night, I saw her sit on my bed and tell me to be good. And to take care of my father. She thanked me for helping her.”

“You saw your dead mom?” He pulled out of his fog even more, remembering vaguely the image of his mother calling to him in the forest, trying to get him to go home. He could see through her, smell her burned skin and it just made him flee deeper. It wasn’t long after the fire, after her death but he’d screamed and ran away. Stiles didn’t seemed phased by it, able to face his mother. But then again, it was different circumstances. 

“Yeah, she promised to watch over me. And hey, I remember what you’re talking about. I… I was running from the hunters and found you here.” Stiles scrubbed the back of his head with his hand, turning his face away. For a heartbeat, Derek thought he smelled blood but then it was gone as fast as it came. 

“I’m sorry.” Derek leaned over and poked his nose against the teens hand, making him jump. A second later he was being petted and he somehow leaned into it, feeling a little less shameful to accept it. The fog in his mind was fading but he knew he lost even more time. It was winter now, and the attack was happening in late spring, long after there was a random snowfall. 

“It’s alright, how about I go find you some food?” Stiles pulled away and Derek realized he didn’t feel a rush of cold from the body moving away. 

“Don’t you need to eat too? I can help.” He tried to stand and follow but all his energy snapped away and he ended up crumpled on the cave floor. Stiles was glaring at him, his eyes dark before they snapped back to being bright again. In the blink of an eye the teenager was a fox with bright red fur that darkened down his thin legs. 

“I do eat. Sorry about the… thing.” Stiles ducked away and was gone in an instant. Something in him knew the fox did something to his body, sapping his energy away. Part of him wanted to be furious at him but the other part couldn’t really stay mad at him. The fox was pack to him. He stretched his senses out, trying to find where the fox went. He was close to passing out but he forced himself to stand, limping to the edge of the cave. 

The snow reflected the light into his eyes and he flinched away, blinking rapidly before peering out through slit eyelids. There were no tracks in the snow. It snapped him out of his pain and stared down, unsure of where the fox could’ve gone. He went to take a step out but then he heard Stiles voice in his head telling him that he should stay put. For a few minutes he simply sat there, thinking about the strange fox. The cold started to get to him and he turned back to the cave, slipping inside as he fled from the cold. It was too much, making his joints ache as he settled into the leaves and curled into a ball. He flicked his tail over his nose. His thin fur and lack of body fat left him shivering against the chill. 

Several weeks passed and spring came once again. Derek managed to stay alive mainly because Stile wouldn’t let him die. He was tired most of the time, but the lukewarm meals were enough for him to get by, but prey was scarce even as everything started to come back. The day was warm so the rocks that formed a ledge that lead into his cave were warmed by the sun, making him doze happily with the chilly fox next to him. The wolf in him woke first, his eyes snapping open while his human side struggled to understand what woke him. There were hunters, and wolves near his clearing. 

He stared with growing horror as Cora and the familiar girl stumbled forward. Their fear filled the air with the salty tang of their tears, mixing poorly with the wolfsbane that was chasing them in the form of several hunters. Then he was moving before he was thinking, bursting from his overhang without looking back and launching himself over the girls. His form was ragged, his fur matted and hanging off of him but he still had some weight to shove around as he slammed into the hunters. 

“Run” The girl he couldn’t place shouted and he heard Cora start crying harder. Then it was all he could do to fight. He could barely hear Cora shouting something when they should be running to safety but he could see that they weren’t. He glanced around frantically wondering why Stiles wasn’t there, why he wasn’t helping him. Surely he heard the battle. Derek was already injured, but he kept moving, used to the pain and aches of his body by now that it had little effect on him. 

The next thing he knew the hunters were running away and for the first time in years, he collapsed out of his full shift. He ended up human, sitting sprawled at the base of a tree with his back against the rough bark. Agony pulsed though him with every beat of his heart but his chest felt lighter than it had in years. 

“Derek?” Cora approached slowly and he lifted his head, panting to hard to respond. 

“What? Cousin Derek?” the other young wolf asked, and he vaguely realized that she was Malia, all grown up. They had to be young women at this point, and he took them in with minimal shock. He knew he was stuck around his cave for years. 

“Yes, it is.” Cora sounded excited but her hand was gentle where it landed on his shoulder. He blinked at her, finding that he could manage a faint smile. It was all she needed before she flattened herself against his side, wrapping her arms around his slowly healing chest and burst into tears. Derek slowly wrapped an arm around her trembling shoulders and twisted his head around to press a kiss against her head. He glanced up to see Malia shivering a few feet away and lifted his other arm, beckoning her closer. It took her a second but then she was curled against his other side, her silent tears making his shoulder wet as she reached out to hold onto his little sister. 

“That was too close.” Malia whispered and he nodded, rubbing her back to calm her more. His inner wolf was calm but part of him was furious. Where had Stiles been? Why hadn’t he helped?

“Hey wolfie.” The voice was faint and Derek lifted his head. The girls didn’t react at all, which didn’t make sense to him but he looked up toward where it came from. He had a clear view of their cave and he started to bare his teeth but then he realized there was something that wasn’t quiet right with what he was seeing. 

Stiles was standing in a sliver of light just outside the cave entrance. His skin seemed to glow pale in the light but his eyes were dark and sad as they gazed down at him from above. His clothes that somehow always looked pristine, even though they were unstylish, suddenly looked less put together. The faint tinge of blood reached his nose that he knew with a growing sickness in his stomach wasn’t his and his chest started to ache as stains and rips appeared over the flickering image of the young man. Stiles gave him a faint smile and lifted his hand in a wave. 

“If you see Scott McCall, give him the finger for me? And take care of your sister. Because something big is coming.” Stiles called down. There was a flash were Derek could clearly see massive claw marks ripping across his chest, a gouge out of the flesh of his thigh and his face covered in blood from where his throat had been torn open, making him look all the more pale before there was nothing. Derek blinked rapidly, feeling a broken howl wanting to travel up his chest but he already spent so long being silent that it only came out a pained groan but his mind was still scrambling to understand what was happening. 

“We should get you somewhere safe.” Cora pulled back at the sound of his pain, her eyes skittering over his broken and weak body and Malia sat back as well, wiping her face clear.

“He’s not healing very fast.” There was doubt in her voice but Cora was yanking him to his feet. His arm was over her shoulders and Malia took up the other side with the scent of concern. Derek remained silent as they lead him forward on shaking legs but Coras face remained hard as she forced him to move. 

“Do you think we can make it?” Malia broke the silence after almost a half an hour of travel but Cora glared at her, making her fall silent once again. Derek huffed as a stick tried to impale his foot and he shook it off. He still didn’t feel much other than shock. He knew with all the wolf in him that he had to go to his pack, to work on making the wrongs right but the other part of him wanted Stiles. He wanted the annoying fox by his side, even if he wasn’t sure if he really was a fox since it was obvious now to him that the creature was dead. He bonded with a ghost. 

“There you are!” An older version of his uncle raced up to them, barely even noticing him as he pulled his daughter into a hug. Cora squawked as she was forced to take most of his weight and Derek wobbled as he tried to keep his legs under him. 

“This guy came out of nowhere and stopped the hunters.” Malia grabbed his arm and steadied them. Derek slowly lifted his head to look at his uncle, seeing his bright blue eyes flash at him and he flinched away, pulling back slightly but then his arm was being pulled over the older wolfs shoulder. He was stronger than Cora from not spending the night being hunted and much stronger than Derek. 

“You two, get home. Tell them we’re coming home with a surprise.” Peter commanded and Malia took off. “Cora, you too. You need rest and recovery. I know you missed him but I want you home now.” 

“Fine” Cora sighed, exhaustion apparent in her tone and she turned to give him a one-sided hug before taking off in the same direction as Malia. Derek didn’t even know where he was but he wasn’t so sure he wanted to be left alone with his uncle. They started forward and it was only when he was starting to believe that his uncle wasn’t going to talk to him did he finally start. 

“So, you were alive this whole time.” Peter asked low and Derek shrugged. It became apparent to him pretty quick that he had to answer when Peter stopped walking and he slowly turned to look at him. 

“I don’t know what happened. I was in a cave, but the wolf was in control. There was a… a fox that would sometimes be a young man. He forced me to eat. Talked to me until I started to gain more control. Cora and Malia just happened to pass my cave and I realized they were being attacked and it snapped me back. But the fox, he just vanished. He brought me back and I…” Dereks voice broke and he turned his head away, fighting back tears. He was so confused on why he was gone. How could he be gone?

“Your wolf took over?” Peter was calmer, making them move forward again but Derek made a rough noise in the back of his throat. 

“I don’t remember. All I recall is… him nursing me back to health and then Cora. I know time has passed, that he was forcing me back to me but… I don’t know. I remember the fire and seeing Mom all the time with these burns all over her body. I could tell anyone so I started running and then… Then being in that cave.” He frowned at the ground for a few second before shaking his head. “There was another wolf once. He came and hurt a human. I tried to stop him. I remember pulling him off and trying to save the human but he… It was a blur. More humans came and I hid for so long that I was too weak to hunt. Then the fox came.”

“Did the fox have a name?” Peter asked softly and he turned to look at the wolf who would surely hate him when the whole truth came out. 

“Stiles. He said his name was Stiles. But he vanished when the hunters came. I could never quiet hear his heartbeat.” He admitted softly. “The girls didn’t see him.”

“No, they aren’t connected to such things.” He sighed. Derek gazed at him in shock but then there was the sound of many wolves racing toward him and he whined against the back of his teeth and clinched his eyes shut. He tried to back away but all he really managed to do was slump uselessly behind his uncle. 

“Where is he?” Laura burst into a clearing with a scream that would be suiting to a scorned woman about to commit third degree murder. Derek peeked around Peters legs to see her eyes shining red and he let out a confused whimper. Peter stepped to the side in a traitorous manner, giving the pack full view of him and he started to shiver. He was still covered in blood and there were a few broken arrows sticking out of him, not to mention he didn’t have any clothes on. 

“He’s half dead already.” A young wolf he didn’t know, abet he didn’t know most of the pack, was staring at him with contempt on his face. His scent hurt Dereks brain and he turned his head away as his stomach turned. He didn’t like the way the wolf was holding himself or the way his jaw was slightly crooked. 

“Shut it.” Lauras voice was harsh but she didn’t bother to turn to glare at him. Derek curled up a little more, trying to make himself look small but his older sister was suddenly kneeling in front of him. “How are you doing little brother?” She asked softly and he blinked sadly at her. 

“M’ sorry.” He suddenly felt like he could get any air into his lungs and she shifted to sit in front of him, pulling him onto her lap. He didn’t fit anymore with his broad shoulders but he was too weak to actually stop her from doing what she wanted. It took several hours, but the entire story came out of him. The woman who told him she was family, but was never around when other wolves were. How he was too young to know and believed her because he saw a picture of her in the den. He didn’t know she was a hunter and they got the picture as a warning. He had to stop several times to catch his breath but he got through the night of the fire and how he got hit with something that made it so he couldn’t warn the others. He didn’t get to the part with the humans or saving Cora and Malia before Laura stopped him. 

“It’s time to get you home.” She got up easily and he was stretched between her and Peter, the older wolves practically carrying him at this point. Derek was beyond exhausted. The pack they had was mostly young wolves and it made his stomach turn when he realized that he was older then most of them. He could feel a tentative bonds of them reaching out but the one who first spoke up leaned away in disgust as they passed. 

“Welcome back little brother.” Laura whispered as a house came into view. It was different then the one he knew and it made his stomach roll uncomfortably but he could feel the claim of the Hale pack on the land around it, healing his soul a little more. The only thing missing was a smiling face that had a few smatterings of beauty marks.  
============================================================================  
“Laura, I’m telling you there is something off about this Scott guy.” Months passed where he learned to be around others once again. The public learned about the fact that he was living in the woods for so long and tried to get photos and interviews with him. He explained in full detail what happened to him, including the way Kate befriended him and then tortured him that night of the fire. He explained how they dropped him off in the woods and he never felt the need to come back since he believed her threats that they would kill him and that his family was already dead. He never forgot Stiles warning to flip off the wolf. He did it multiple times, mostly after he said something rude or particularly stupid. The police were slow to act on his claims so he had nothing better to do. 

“I don’t know why it’s just him that you don’t like?” Laura gave him a knowing look but he clammed up, not wanting to speak about Stiles anymore. They were already thinking he suffered a trauma that drove him out of his mind. If he started talking about seeing what he assumed was ghosts, well, he didn’t want to think about what they were going to do. Plus, Scott was one of the first wolves that Laura initiated into their pack as Alpha. He was more of a pack member than Derek was. The others, especially Erica and Boyd, seemed to connect with him easily but he just couldn’t get his final image of Stiles out of his head whenever he looked at the wolf. 

“He’s bad news.” Derek muttered, feeling his mood darken. Something was coming and he didn’t like it. There was a full moon that night and he could feel the burn of it in his body already, amping him up for a battle like no other. Laura told him he was being paranoid but he knew after living so long in the woods when a day was going to turn bad. He could hear it in the back of his mind, thrumming so loud that his heart pounded painfully in his chest.

“He’s a sweet kid.” Laura scolded and Derek hunched in on himself. 

“He’s a killer.” He growled low, watching as Laura paused to look at him. 

“Peter told me you mentioned a name. Someone you shouldn’t have known.” She started but he shook his head at her. He could hear someone moving behind him and he turned to see Isaac shuffling around to grab some food. He shifted so the beta wasn’t behind him but neither was Laura. 

“Leave Stiles out of this. He was just a kid I failed to save.” He snapped back as Laura tried to put her hand on his shoulder. It felt wrong that his own sister couldn’t see the signs. He knew she should doubt him but he was tired when the evidence was right in front of him. He swung to his feet and went to walk out of the room. 

“How do you know that name? He was younger than you.” Laura pressed and he stopped, trying to hide within his large leather jacket. It was his fathers that survived because it was left in the car. He could just see Isaac out of the corner of his eye, his head shaking while he slowly put his food down. 

“He was a ghost. I could see him when I was shifted, which was the entire time I was gone. There was a wolf out that night, and the wolf killed the kid. I tried to pull that thing off him but I was too late. His ghost showed up later and pestered me. I thought it was because I didn’t save him, but he told me after I rescued Cora and Malia that something big was coming, that it was time for me to come home.” He kept his head down before shaking it. “And I don’t plan on surviving it.” 

“What the hell does that mean?” Isaac snarled low and he shrugged. 

“Take it or leave it.” He growled over his shoulder at the young wolf and left, heading up to his room. He could take a quick nap to prepare for the night. In truth, he didn’t dream so much as have nightmare after nightmare as he failed to save pack member after pack member and he would wake, unable to move until he drifted off again. 

The night came with Cora knocking on his door. He didn’t answer, unable to move from his bed as his body remained still, against his command. He wished with everything that he had that he could call out to her, beg her to come and snap him out of the paralysis that he was fighting but she moved off with an air of disappointment. In the end, the was stuck watching as the moon rose through his window and started its journey across the sky. It was only in the light of their power did he see the faint markings on his ceiling, locking him into his bed and he could smell a now familiar taint of the wolf he hated in his room. Scott was up to something, and he knew Derek would try and stop him, so he imprisoned him in his bed. 

Then the screams started to come and Derek strained against the hold the markings had on him. Desperation came to him and his mind landed on the only thing he could think of as he thought about his failures. Stiles. He imagined everything he could remember about his friend, begging him to come and then there was a soft yet cold hand on his head and he blinked open his eyes.

“Still a troublemaker I see.” Stiles smiled with sadness in his eyes. It was something he didn’t want to see but his body seemed to relax all on it’s own and he let out a sigh. Another scream went up and he tensed again. 

“Nah-huh. Der, look at me and only me and relax. It’s the only way to get out of this.” Stiles dropped to a crouch before him and he did his best, staring into the silvery brown eyes. The being moved back and Derek chased after him, trying to stay close. The next thing he knew he was tumbling from him bed. 

“Thanks.” He barely had it out of his mouth before he was bolting out of his room. He jumped clear of the stairs and landed at the bottom as the door slammed open. “What’s happening?” He grabbed Boyd as Erica struggled to drag him into the house. Both of his legs had to be broken and she was badly injured as well. 

“Scott has red eyes.” She breathed out at him, shock in her own golden gaze and he dragged them quickly to the couch. He checked them over but they were healing well. 

“Stay here until you’re healed enough to drive, then get the hell out of here.” He gave her the best parent look that he could managed but she just nodded blankly. 

“Derek you can’t take an Alpha!” Stiles cried out at him but he ignored him to run out the door, hearing Erica start crying loudly. Isaac was trying to climb up the front steps and he ran down to him, dropping to his knee as he placed his hand on his shoulder to get his attention. 

“Where are the others?” He begged but Isaac was staring at something behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see it was just Stiles and hauled the beta to his feet. The faint scent of from so long ago was the only warning he got before the feral alpha burst into the clearing. He had just enough time to shove himself up before it reached him. Derek felt the paw backhand him and then he was flying. He stared at the ground, slightly impressed with the air he got before a tree stopped his impromptu flight and he ricocheted off the branches to the ground.

It was Isaac was crying for help that made him able to lift his head. Derek rolled to his stomach, bringing his knees up before his vision threatened to fade and he had to paused for a breath. The feral was standing over the young wolf, pinning him to the ground easily, seemingly enjoying the way the beta was struggling helplessly under him. He shook off his body and charged. Once again, he didn’t think, instead jumping at the ferals head and holding on for dear life. The beast reared backward as it tried to fling him off, giving Isaac time to scramble away. He did his best to inflict any sort of wound, clawing frantically as he held on but it wasn’t going to last. His foot slipped and he flopped against the ferals flank, giving him access to rip him off. Derek screamed as teeth buried into his side and his vision became horrendously blurred as the beast dragged him off his back and started to shake. Things went numb surprisingly fast after that. 

“Let him go!” Several voices seemed to shout at once and the shaking stopped. Derek stared at the ground as the world spun, feeling the thick dribbling of blood up his neck to drip off his chin. He managed to turn his head to see several shivery shapes on the porch and a pain struck his numb chest when he realized he could see his mother and father. All the others from the fire were there was well, standing behind Stiles as they glared down the feral holding him. A warm chuckle came from the beast that gurgled on Derek life blood and he was flung to the bottom steps. Stiles moved in the blink of an eye to stand between them. 

“What happened to my brother that wouldn’t hurt a soul?” Stiles all but snarled, his light around him flaring with his anger. The feral seemed to pause to think and a second later it shrunk to reveal Scott standing there with a smirk on his face.

“Oh, I learned. Don’t you remember? You were my first.” Scott purred out and Derek tried to sit up, struggling to reach out as Stiles faltered. 

“That was… that was an accident.” His friend sounded like he was trying to convince himself but Scott tutted softly, shaking his head. 

“No, it wasn’t. The hunters, my family, told me all about what you were planning. You were jealous all along that I was a wolf. How dare you be jealous when it was something I never wanted.” Scott snarled and his eyes flashed a brighter red as he grinned. 

“No.” Isaac was halfway out the door, staring at the feral with agony in his eyes. 

“Yes you stupid little cunt. I was playing you all this whole time. I lured Cora and Malia out to the woods so my family could pick them off. It was your fault I got turned. But then the little Run-Away came home.” Scott gestured serenely at him before shaking his head. “My pour Kate. She was so disappointed in her men. I got to eat them. But then Derek stayed here, spreading rumors of my first kill and not accepting that this is the way it has to be. You see, you’re all monsters. So I had to learn to get rid of you.”

“Shut up. The only monster here is you.” Stiles screamed and the entire night went silent. Scotts smile fell briefly before it was back full force, taking a step toward them.

“Ah, remember your loves life is in my hands, or well, his death.” Scott inched closer and Stiles sidestepped so he remained between them. Derek tilted his head back when he heard his younger brothers murmuring to Isaac, trying to calm him down more. Something in him knew that his grandparents were sitting with Erica and Boyd, watching over them while the rest made a defensive line. He wasn’t sure what help they could be even though they made him strangely calm. It didn’t even faze him that Scott told Stiles something about love. He’d didn’t know what it meant but he wanted the little fox back. 

“And this was you’re plan. Use your abilities as a true alpha to pick off this pack while your family goes after Laura?” Stiles was scornful but he could sense the pain underlying every movement that he made. Scott hummed low before tapping the side of his head. 

“You thought you were always the smartest between us but you forget that I have good ideas too, unlike walking into the dark woods with a werewolf.” He crowed out and Stiles chuckled low. 

“No. It’s not a good idea. You’ve learned nothing since my death.” Stiles straightened up a little more before turning his back on the feral, walking over to kneel next to him. Derek smiled weakly at him, struggling to hold his head up. 

“Don’t turn your back on…” Scott snarled, lifting his hand and swung, but then it was like he struck a wall. The feral started making inhuman screams but he could not get closer to them. 

“I’m so sorry Derek.” Stiles stretched his hand out to him, cupping his cheek. Derek stared up at him in confusion, pressing into it as he enjoyed the rare warmth. He had only felt a chill like the one making its way up his body when it was the dead of winter and he lost all his fat from being unable to catch enough food.

“Why are you sorry? You saved my pack.” He murmured and Stiles shook his head at him. 

“You saved your pack. You called me here. You got Erica and Boyd inside, even Isaac. You gave you life for them.” Stiles spoke through thick tears but Derek tilted his head back to look at him family behind him. 

“I’m dying?” He asked softly and his mother nodded, grief in her eyes but he stared at them. “But I didn’t… I didn’t fix it. I didn’t fix my mistake.”

“Oh my darling pup. There is nothing for you to fix. You’ve saved your pack.” His mother soothed and he relaxed. 

“Do you think Laura and Cora would be proud of me?” He wanted to hold Stiles hand but he found that he could only let his head fall back onto the porch so he was staring up at the night sky. 

“You can ask them yourself in a second.” Stiles picked up his hand, but he could only tell from the motion his arm was doing and he huffed softly. A heartbeat later there was a loud thump and Scotts screamed an incoherent babble of words before it was sharply cut off. 

“Holy shit!” Coras voice was high pitched. “MOM!” 

“Derek!” A second later Stiles was stepping to the side and Laura was crouching over him. He struggled to turn his head to the side, seeing Cora pop up on one side with Peter on the other. 

“I did it. I protected the pack.” He whispered, confused as to why they were crying. Everyone was safe. 

“Oh Derek, please. I just got you back. I didn’t get to apologize for blaming you when we were kids.” Cora covered her mouth with her hands but they were starting to get harder to see as darkness rimmed his vision. He still smiled. 

“It’s alright. I still love you all. I’ve always loved you. I just wanted to make you proud of me.” He muttered the last words to total darkness but he felt someone press a hand to his cheek. 

“My dear nephew, we were always proud of you.” Peter whispered but his voice sounded choked up.

A second later Derek was standing and Stiles was in his arms. He wrapped him up and pressed a kiss against his temple, trying to calm the sobs racking his chest. It was almost like they were alive again, feeling the weight in his arms and hearing the voice that was so much clearer. Derek looked up to see his living family still around his body at the steps, their own cries strangely mutes. Cora collapsed to the side and Peter had vanished, running to Malia who managed to limp her way home. Dereks dead family circled around him with their voices raised in welcome. He soaked up their presence as he was all but passed from one to the other and then finally back to Stiles. 

“Can I stay with you?” He asked carefully but Stiles was beaming at him. 

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Stiles held his hand out to him and he took it without any hesitation. 

“What’s going on?” A soft voice asked and he glanced over to see Scott sitting next to the corpse that wasn’t human, and wasn’t wolf. It was barely recognizable as anything but a bloody lump of flesh. 

“Uh, Scott?” Stiles took a hesitant step forward as the teen on the ground rubbed his eyes. 

“Did Jackson knock me out again? I wanted to make first line this year.” Scott suddenly sounded so young but Stiles backed into him. Derek wrapped his arms around his fox and rested his head on his shoulder. 

“Scott, that was years ago, before…. Before you were bitten. Before you started having trouble and Allison started changing. Before…” Stiles stuttered rapidly but Derek got the picture. 

“Before Kate and her men” He breathed out, seeing that the young man was confused and lost, much like he was. He closed his eyes, holding Stiles a little tighter to ground himself before reaching out with his senses. The town was different than what he remembered but then there was a familiar wave as the teen and he latched onto it. 

“Grandma?” Scott gasped and he blinked open his eyes to see an addition to their little group. He glanced over at the living pack to see if they noticed but they didn’t seem to. They were still grieving over his body. 

“Scotty. What are you doing here? I was watching over your mother at the hospital. You were supposed to be meeting her there.” The old woman look confused but then she helped Scott to his feet. “Hmmm, lets go see if she can see you so you can say your goodbyes.” She pulled him along as Scott started crying openly. 

“Geez, I almost feel bad for him.” Stiles wrapped his arms around where Derek was holding him and he hummed. 

“I get it. He was your friend, and you cared for him. You hate what he turned into because he hurt so many people, but now he doesn’t remember and you don’t know what to do.” He hoped that Scotts soul would stay scrubbed like it was, but he doubted it. Ghosts turn into dark beings more often than not when they have no one to hold onto. He was lucky that Stiles latched onto him, and saved both of their souls. Scott would have to learn to turn away from the darkness.

“Well, his mom and my dad are banging so we didn’t really leave too much behind. They’ll take care of each other and we’ll watch over everyone.” Stiles straightened and turned in his arms. “We still have our connection to the pack.” He nodded to something over his shoulder and he turned to see Isaac staring at them with an open mouth. 

“Just don’t throw mice at him.” Derek grumbled, making his family laugh.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think.


End file.
